The process of drilling a hole in the ground for the extraction of a natural resource requires a fluid for removing the cuttings from the wellbore, lubricating and cooling the drill bit, controlling formation pressures and maintaining hole stability.
Many formations present difficulties for drilling. For example, the horizontal displacement that occurs in extended reach drilling (ERD) is often limited by torque and drag losses due to friction. Surface interactions, such as rotation of the drill string, is believed to contribute to such frictional losses. In extended reach, drilling frictional losses can be reduced by using a hydrocarbon-based drilling fluid. Additives can be added to the hydrocarbon-based fluid to further reduce the frictional losses.
Nevertheless, extended reach drilling could be more useful if longer wellbores could be effectively drilled. Thus, there is need in the art for new lubricant compositions, e.g., for use in drilling operations, particularly extended reach drilling.